Mars Express

**Skeptical** · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:02 am Post subject: Mars Express

Not to take away anything from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), but, for years now, some of the most spectacular images of Mars have been taken by the European Space Agency's Mars Express space probe. Here is a link to ESA's site. It is well worth the visit.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/index.html

The Mars Express photos show clearly what a beautiful but ultimately desolate place Mars is. If there's any life hiding there, I have to give it credit for eking out an existence in a most unforgiving environment. Confused

S
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"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

HopoUK · Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:54 am Post subject:

Mars has always been intriguing for me, and the picture of the south polar ice cap is especially so. 1000m deep in places means that if we decided to put a base on Mars, that ice could be vital.

I only wish that someone would land a rover on the polar region to take samples, and send back images. That would be cool. ( pun intended Smile

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**Skeptical** · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject:

Keep your fingers crossed, Hopo, the Phoenix lander is due on Mars next month (May 25th). It's due to land in the ice fields in a Martian polar region. I am really looking forward to its first images.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/main.php

S
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"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

**dr wu23** · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 2254 Location: Indiana

It would truly be amazing if we found evidence of life there...,,current plant or organic life or evidence of a past civilization.
But would NASA hide it..?
Wink

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"Some say the valley has always been haunted ever since River ran.
The rippling waters fast as the colors conceal the Green Man."
Roy Harpur from The Green Man

HopoUK · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:24 pm Post subject:

Is the Pope catholic? Smile

NASA have always hidden things from us. Take a look at the video i posted, UFO Files: Black Box UFO Secrets Revealed 1of5

In part 5, it talks of NASA and astronauts UFO sightings.

HopoUK · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject:

And everything seems to be on course for the Mars Phoenix landing. It's at 4.53pm Pacific, Sunday May 25th, which over here in the UK is at 12.53am Monday May 26th. Luckily, I am on leave that week, so I can stay up and watch the live NASA Tv broadcast on their website. Very Happy

They will be scooping up samples of soil, and the ice that they think is under the soil, and analyze them. What's the betting that if they discover frozen samples of life that they will release their findings to the world?

**Skeptical** · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 9:18 am Post subject:

Finding life on Mars is the single best chance for increased budgets and a return to the glory days for NASA. If they find anything that remotely smells of life, I guarantee we will hear about it.

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"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

HopoUK · Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject:

Hmm, good point. Well, we'll see over the next few weeks as the rover goes to work. That's if it safely lands of course. And if the solar panels open properly. Mind you, NASA have been successful recently in that department, so we should be ok.

**Carol Nistri** · Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 3292

This landing is going to be carried LIVE on Fox Sunday,I cant wait to see this,I really doubt they will even find bacteria.

HopoUK · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:07 am Post subject:

Hmmm, we get Fox News over here. Is that the channel you are talking about Carol? If so, I'll be able to watch that also. If not, I still have NASA Tv. Smile

**Skeptical** · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 8:07 pm Post subject:

This landing is going to be tricky. First time in a long time anyone has done a powered landing on Mars (as opposed to the bouncing ball routine). I've got my fingers crossed.

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"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson

HopoUK · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject:

Yes, I see what you mean:

Mars Phoenix Landing

As they say in the video, " 7 minutes of terror ".

Oh and you need Quicktime video player to view this one.

HopoUK · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 7:15 pm Post subject:

Watching NASA Tv right now. 38 minutes until the landing. Here's hoping. Smile

Philip Edwards · Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 209 Location: Cambridge/England

The Phoenix Mars Lander touched down on the surface of Mars okay, here is the main NASA link with the latest pictures.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html
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Keep watching the skies.

**Skeptical** · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 7:47 am Post subject:

I am very much relieved that Phoenix made a safe landing. Yes, we've been to Mars a number of times but the attrition rate for spacecraft there is pretty high - nothing is ever assured.

I don't think this craft has a rover of any type. It will just have to dig around where it's at. Hopefully, it will dig up a Martian microbe or two.

S
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"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." -- Thomas Jefferson